Grain-drill.



No. 644,032. v l Patented Feb. 20, |900.

G. W.MURRAY.

GRAIN DRILL.

, (Application filed Feb. 14, 1898.)

(No Model.)

IIIIII ll 36 @0B/,Mang w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. MURRAY, OF SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA.

GRAIN-DRILL.

SPECFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,032, dated February20, 1900. Application filed February 14, 1898. Serial No. 670.309. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

, Be it known that l, GEORGE W. MURRAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sumter, Sumter county, State of South Carolina, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Grain-Drills, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine which has for its object to dropseeds in small furrows at predetermined distances, which distances maybe regulated at the will of the operator. This, together with otherfeatures of novelty, will be more particularly pointed out in thedescriptions and claims and by reference to the drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 2 is a plan, partbeing broken away to showthe interior construction. Fig. 3 is a detailview of the changing-gear and releasing device for operating theseed-droppen Fig. tis an enlarged section through the seeddropper.

The machine is mounted upon a horizontalY rectangular frame 1, which issupported upon an axle 2, which has wheels 3 at either end, the axle 2being secured to the wheels and turning with them in the journals .4,secured to the under side of the frame 1. The front end of the frame 1is supported upon a casterwheel 5, which is mounted in a fork 6, thefork being held in a journal 7 and provided with a tongue 8 for drawingand guiding the machine.

Across the front part of the machine extends aghorizontal rod 9, whichis secured to the frame 1 by brackets and braces in a secure andsuitable manner. This rod 9 serves as a bearing for one end of thedrag-bars 10, which terminate at their rear extremity in the drill tubesor points 11, the drag-bars 10 being divided into pairs that areseparated by collars on the rod 9 and joined together where they aresecured to the drill-points 11 ,in this way holding the points 11 fromanylateral movement. The drag-bars 10, however, are journaled on the rod9 and permit the drillpointsA 11 to be raised or lowered by swinging onthe rod 9.

Mounted above the frame l is a hand-lever 12 of the usual type employedon this class of machinery, provided with the ordinary ratchet forsecuring the same in any desired position.

This hand-lever 12 has extending forward a connecting-rod 93, whichconnects with a crank 14, mounted upon a rotating shaft 15, whichrevolves in journals l6,secured to either side of the frame l, the shaft15 being in length equal to the distance between the extremedrill-points. From the rod 15 extend a series of crank-levers 17 in ahorizontal direction when the hand-lever 12 is in its normal position.This series of cranks 17 are connected to the drag-bars 10 by rods 18,which are pivoted to the cranks 1-7 and provided wit-h a permanentwasher 19. Near the upper end, surrounding the rod 18, between thewasher 19 and drag-bars 10, is a coilspring 20, the lower end of thespring resting on a perforated block 2l, which is secured between eachpair of the drag-bars 10. The rod 18 passes through the perforation inthe block 21'and terminates in a nut-head on the under side of saidblock 21. A hook 22 is secured to each of the drag-bars l0, and when thesaid arms are raised to their extreme limit the hook 22 may be cast overthe shaft 15, in that way permanently holding the drill-points 11 fromcontact with the ground.

Above the framel is a seedbox 23, mounted on suitable rods or brackets.The bottom of the seedbox 23 inclines toward the center and has alongitudinal slot extending from one end to the other thereof. Throughthis slot passes a revolving rod 21, which completely fills thelongitudinal slot. This rod is provided with a series of small oricescut outfrom the rod, the said orifices usually being arranged vin aspiral form around the rod 24. Underneath the-seedbox 23 is a series offunnels 25, which occupy the entire length of the seedbox, the funnelsbeing the same in number as the drill-points 11. These funnels 25terminate in dropping-tubes 26, which empty into the upper end of thedrill-points 1l. On the axle 2, at one extremity and beyond thedriving-wheel 3, there is mounted a sprocket-wheel 27, which connects bya chain with a second sprocket-wheel 28, the said wheel 28 being mountedupon a vshaft 29, which has its journals secured to the seedbox 23.-From the shaft 29 there extends a pendent bar 30, and from the end ofthe shaft 29 there extends a bar 3l, which is curved outwardly, andthese bars 30 and 31 hold IOO a short shaft 32 at their outer ends. Asprocket-wheel 33 on the shaft 29 connects with a sprocket-wheel 3i onthe shaft 32 by chain 35. rThis shaft 32 also carries a gearwheel 36,and the end of the rod 24 terminates on the outside `of the seedbox 23in a cone series of gears 37, with which the gearwheel 36 meshes. Thegear-wheel 36 can be moved longitudinally upon the shaft 32 and securedat any desired point, so as to engage any of the series of gears in thecone 37, it being evident that when the gear 36 engages the largest ofthe gears in the cone 37 the rod 34 will revolve slowly andcomparatively few seed will be dropped through the tube 26 anddrill-points 1l.l On the other hand, when the gear 36 engages thesmallest of the gears in the cone 37 the rod 24 will revolve much morerapidly and the seed will be dropped more frequently from the seedbox23. There being a series of the gears in the cone 37, it is evident thata range of speed for dropping the seed may be obtained.

Mounted upon suitable brackets secured to the seedbox 23 is a shaft 38,which carries a small hand-lever 39, provided with the usual ratchet forholding the same in any desired position. This shaft 38 has extendingfrom the outer end of the same a small crank 40, the outer end of whichenga-ges a connectingrod 41, which serves to connect the crank 40 withthe shaft 32.

The operation of this machine is as follows: The hand-lever 12 is pushedforward to the extreme limit. This through the connectingrod 13 andcrank 14 revolves the shaft 15, moving the series of cranks 17 in anupward direction and drawing the drill-points 1l up and clear from theground. The small handlever 39 is drawn back toward the seedbox as faras the same will move. This movement raises the crank 40 and by theconnecting-rod 41 lifts the shaft 32, taking the gear-wheel 36 out ofengagement with any of the gears in the cone 37. The machine is thendriven to the desired point in the field, when the small hand-lever 39is pushed forward until the gear-wheel 36 engages the gear in the cone37 with which it is in line. The particular gear in the cone 37 withwhich the gear 36 engages having been previously determined by theoperator and the gear 36 having been set at the required position on theshaft 32, the hand-lever 12 is now drawn back, which movement depressesthe drill-points 11 until they cut deep enough into the ground. Thefarther the hand-lever 12 is brought back the farther the points 11enter into the earth. The machine is now driven forward, and therotation of the wheels 3 and axle 2 causes the rod 2i to revolve throughthe mechanism of the sprocket-wheels and gears before mentioned. The rod24 successively presents the small orifices to the interior of theseedbox 23. The seed fills the small oriiice, which as p it revolvespasses the bott-om of the box 23 and opens into the series of funnels25, from which the seed drops through the dropping'- tube 26 and intothe hollow drill-points 11, the lower end of the drill-points 11depositing the seed in the earth just back of the lowest excavation madeby the drill-point 11.

If one of the drill-points 1l strikes any obstruction, such as stone orroot, the obstruction will push the drill-point up, the small block 21sliding up on the rod 18 and compressing the coil-spring 20. As soon asthe obstruction is passed the coil-spring 2O forces the drill-point backto the level of the balance of the drill-points. If it is desired to useonly a limited number of the drill-points 11, such points as are nottobe used are raised and the hooks 22 passed over the rod 15. Thedropping-tubes 26 are disengaged from the funnels 25 and supporters areplaced within the mouth of the funnel.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The herein-described drillcomprising a supporting-frame, drag-bars pivotally mounted therein,drill tubes or points carried by said drag-bars, a transverse rock-shaftmounted on said frame, a crank-arm secured thereto, a hand-lever pivotedto said frame and connected by a pitman with said crank-arm, a series ofarms extending from said rock-shaft, rods connecting said arms and saiddrag-bars, springs encircling said rods, and hooks carried by saiddrag-bars and designed to engage said rock-shaft, substantially as setforth.

2. Tlre herein-described drill comprising a supporting-frame, drag-barspivotally mounted therein, drill-tubes carried by said dragbars, atransverse rock-shaft mounted on said frame and having a series of armsextending therefrom, means for rocking said shaft, a series ofperforated blocks carried by said drag-bars, headed rods extendedthrough the perforations of said blocks and connecting the same with thearms of said rock-shaft, Washers secured to said rods, and springsinterposed between said blocks and said washers, substantially as setforth.

3. The herein-described drill comprising a supporting-frame, atransverse rod mounted therein, drag-bars having their forward endsspaced apart and pivoted to said rod, drilltubes carried by saiddrag-bars, a seedbox carried by said frame and having a longitudin alslot in its bottom, a rotatable shaft mounted in said slot and having aseries of spirally-arranged recesses, means for varying the speed ofrotation of said shaft, hoppers located below said seedbox, and tubesconnecting said hoppers with said drill-tubes, substantially as setforth.

4.-. The herein-described drill comprising a supporting-frame, atransverse rod mounted therein, drag-bars having their forward endsspaced apart and pivoted to said rod, drill -tubes or points carried bysaid drag-bars, a

seedbox carried by'said frame and having a longitudinal slot in itsbottom, a rotatable shaft mounted in said slot and having a scries ofspirally-arranged recesses, means for IOO IIO

AIo

on said shaft, a second shaft mounted adjacent thereto and also carryinga sprocket- Wheel, a chain connecting said sprocket- Wheels, agear-Wheel also mounted on said second shaft and designed to mesh withsaid cone-gears, means for adjusting said gear- Wheel, and connectionsbetween said seedbox and said drill-tubes, substantially as set forth.

6. The herein-described drill, comprising a su pporting-frame,drag-barspivotally mounted therein, drill-tubes carried by saiddragbars, a transverse rock-shaft mounted on said frame, hooks carriedby said drag-bars and designed to engage said rock-shaft, connectionsbetween said rock-shaft and said dragbars, means for rocking said shaft,and means for feeding seed to said drill tubes or points, 3o

substantially as set forth.

GEO. W. MURRAY.

Witnesses:

W. MCKINLAY, A. C. BARNETT.

